Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Utah Statesman The
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Japan relief reaches $6,000, fundraising continues By MEGAN BAINUM assistant news editor
What started out as a student-run organization for families in Cache Valley has turned into a fundraiser relief program called STEPS to help the victims of the recent Japan earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power crisis. As of Tuesday afternoon STEPS passed the $6,000 mark toward the $15,000 goal. Wednesday and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Logan’s Maximum Style Tec Cosmetology School will have students ready to cut or braid steps into students’ hair for $5 and hair cuts will cost $10. Jennifer Lee, a student at Maximum Style, said she volunteered her time because she has always loved Japan and their culture. Keenan Nuehring, one of the students who started STEPS but is now working as an ASUSU liaison for the organization, said they have been working on STEPS for more than a year but weren’t planning on launching it until the fall. When the Japan
KEENAN NUEHRING (LEFT) and Jason Russell (right) show steps that were shaved into their hair, Tuesday, which is part of an initiative to raise money for victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami. Nuehring and Russell are co-founders of the non-profit USU group called STEPS. ANI AGHABABYAN photo
disaster hit March 11, he said the group felt it was appropriate to speed things up so something could be done to help and have the USU Japan Club
be involved as much as possible. Chisato Yanagisawa, a sophomore and member of the Japan Club, said since there is nothing anyone from the
Japan Club can do to help directly, a fundraiser that will go to the Red Cross was the best option. She said at first they wanted to send food and blankets
but it was going to be too expensive. Instead, Yanagisawa said the club decided to put up donation jars around campus and booths in the TSC and library. “We can’t do anything from here, but we felt very strongly about doing something, anything that we can do,” Yanagisawa said. Each “step” in STEPS represents something different, Nuehring said. The first step is relieving financial burdens, the second is educating community and third is unifying the community. He said it is a great way to raise awareness about what is going on. Nuehring said the group aims to meet their goal by April 9 with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Japanese Red Cross. He said members of the organization are planning to go around to businesses to ask for donations. Group member Jason Russell said some businesses have already approached them and asked how they can help.
- See STEPS, page 3
Business students improve literacy through book drive By ALLEE EVENSEN staff writer
Ten students from the Huntsman School of Business have teamed up with the Cache Valley Reading Council to promote literacy in the community and created a goal to collect more than 1,000 books in a 3-week period. The Books for Hope drive will run until the last day of the month, with a door-todoor collection on March 26. On-campus drop sites include the business and education buildings, the TSC, the library entrance and the Edith Bowen Lab School. A majority of the books will be donated to the English Language Center of Cache Valley, a non-profit organization that offers a variety of English and basic life skills
UTAH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS visit USU’s Logan campus and observe teaching methods in the newly established Sound Beginnings deaf education program. Congressman Rob Bishop said he was impressed by the quality of the program. CARL R. WILSON photo
Congressman Bishop visits campus to experience deaf learning program By DAN SMITH news senior writer
U.S. Congressman Rob Bishop visited USU’s recently-constructed Emma Eccles Jones Early Childhood Education and Research Center on Monday to learn about its highly unique Sound Beginnings deaf education program. USU Provost Raymond Coward said he was glad to have the opportunity to show Bishop a program that USU administrators are so proud of. Bishop has served for 16 years in the Utah Legislature as well as 30 years in public education. “It’s fitting that we’re visiting an early education program that is literally changing the lives of the participant children and their families,” Coward said. Utah Sen. Lyle Hillyard, Utah Rep. Jack Draxler, Tami Pyfer of the Utah Board of Education and Peggy Milligan from the Utah State Office of Education were also in attendance to hear about the fledgling
Inside This Issue
program. the group on a tour of the facilities. Coward said the graduate emphasis “It’s truly state-of-the-art, it’s amazprogram attracts students from all over ing,” Bishop said. “It’s one of the few that because of how cutting-edge does this type of sound the technology and research listening projects in the “It’s fitting that nation. It’s great that they are. “These are young people we’re visiting an have been able to make that are being provided a kinds of scientific early education the service that is unique to our improvements over the state, which is unique to our program that is years so these kids can literally changnation, which is unique to truly reach the kind of this world,” Coward said. potential that’s within ing the lives of “Yet at the same time what the participant them.” you’ll be observing is a very White said Sound children and active research program Beginnings provides which has brought in much their families.” teaching, care and more than $1 million in – Raymond Coward, assessment facilities for external funding.” He said it is USU Provost children. Karl White, director important to identify any of the National Center for hearing loss early with Hearing Assessment and Management universal newborn hearing screening. (NCHAM) and USU psychology profesSound Beginnings director Kristina sor, presented the high-profile group with the vitals of Sound Beginnings and led - See SOUND, page 4
3/23/11 The former Outdoor Recreation Center, now called the Outdoor Recration Program, offers equipment rentals and classes. Page 5
Men’s tennis defeated in-state rival Weber State, 5-2. Page 8
classes. Katie Jensen, co-director of the center, said a book drive like this will effect hundreds of families in the community. Many of the families who use the center are new immigrants or refugees from war-torn countries, she said, and want the ability to support their families. “They arrive with nothing, so we get books for them,” she said. Jensen said the center serves around 1,000 people each year. With a combination of people from 90 countries, the center requires more than 250 volunteers annually. This year the English Center’s biggest needs are dictionaries and children’s books. “They teach some who
- See LOGAN, page 4
Writing contest chooses winners By LIS STEWART staff writer
The Utah State University English department announced the winners of its annual creative writing contest last week. Charles Waugh, director of the contest, said one of the purposes of the contest is to encourage as many people as possible to write. He said the contest had 158 entries from 25 different disciplines and encompassing four colleges. The winning submissions will be published in the department’s literary magazine, “Scribendi” in mid-April, Waugh said. The winning authors will also have a chance to read their work
- See SCRIBENDI, page 3
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